FIVE YEARS' RETROSPECT xi 



under the direction of the Mathematical Tables Committee : (i) Circular 

 and Hyperbolic Functions, Exponential Sine and Cosine Integrals, Factorial 

 (Gamma) and Derived Functions, Integrals of Probability Integrals (1931) ; 

 (2) Emden Functions (1932) ; (3) Minimum Decompositions into Fifth 

 Powers (1933) ; (4) Cycles of Reduced Ideals in Quadratic Fields (1934) ; 

 (5) Factor Tables (1935). In preparation are Bessel Functions, which are 

 expected to extend to three volumes, the first of which was in the press 

 at the end of 1935. The Cambridge University Press are now the 

 publishers of these volumes. 



The Committee on Geological Photographs is that of longest lineage 

 among existing research committees of the Association : it was first 

 established in 1873. The Committee published two additional lists in 



1 93 1 and 1935, bringing the number of photographs in the collection to 

 8,71 1 . The collection is housed in the library of H.M. Geological Survey, 

 South Kensington, and was recently overhauled. Prints and lantern 

 slides of certain of the photographs are on sale to the public. 



Further illustration of the scope of the Association's research work 

 must be restricted here (with one exception) to examples of the work of 

 committees which have completed their tasks. The work of the com- 

 mittees on Inland Water Survey and on Noise has been mentioned in an 

 earlier section (II). 



Provision for research in chemistry through other channels is so far 

 adequate that this subject makes relatively little demand upon the Associa- 

 tion (and the same applies to agricultural research). Nevertheless, in 



1932 a committee appointed to collect and tabulate all available data con- 

 cerning the parachors of chemical compounds published a list giving in 

 convenient form data for 638 substances (Annual Report, 1932, p. 264). 



In 1 93 1 a committee appointed to organise an expedition to investigate 

 the biology, geology and geography of the Australian Great Barrier Reef 

 presented its final report, which stated that the Trustees of the British 

 Museum had undertaken the full publication of their work. A fitting 

 sequel to the work of the expedition was the establishment, by the 

 Queensland Government, of a Permanent Marine Biological Service, the 

 huts, equipment, and scientific library of the committee forming the 

 nucleus of the first marine laboratory to be established in Australia. 



In 1935 the Biological Measurements Committee published a booklet 

 under the title Biological Measurements, being a revised edition of recom- 

 mendations made previously (1927). This is intended to assist in bringing 

 the biological sciences into line with certain aspects of the more exact 

 physical sciences. 



The committee appointed with a grant in 1929 to facilitate the inves- 

 tigations of Dr. M. C. Rayner on tree mycorrhizas (associations of 

 fungi with living roots) finally reported in 1932. Dr. Rayner's further 

 researches on this subject are now being assisted financially by the 

 Forestry Commission. 



Among psychological researches, the committee on the Reliability of 

 the Criteria used for assessing the Value of Vocational Tests presented 

 in 193 1 a survey of their work. As a result, the Industrial Health 

 Research Board started an extensive investigation in which the after- 

 careers of some 2,000 apprentices were compared with their performances 



